Now the time of his deliverance from this bondage seemed very far
off, and each cruel word or blow caused him the greater sorrow,
because of the thought that but for the monkey's wickedness he
would have been nearly free from that which made his life so very
miserable.
If he had looked sad and mournful before, he looked doubly so now,
as he went his dreary round of the tent, crying, "Here's your cold
lemonade," or "Fresh baked peanuts, ten cents a quart"; and each
day there were some in the audience who pitied the boy because of
the misery which showed so plainly in his face, and they gave him
a few cents more than his price for what he was selling, or gave
him money without buying anything at all, thereby aiding him to
lay up something again toward making his escape.
Those few belonging to the circus who knew of Toby's intention to
escape tried their best to console him for the loss of his money,
and that kind hearted couple, the skeleton and his fat wife, tried
to force him to take a portion of their scanty earnings in the place
of that which the monkey had thrown away. But this Toby positively
refused to do; and to the arguments which they advanced as reasons
why they should help him along he only replied that until he could
get the money by his own exertions he would remain with Messrs.
Lord and Jacobs and get along as best he could.
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